The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-16
ease would Ne retarded IN the
not q pain would be aggravated
not one Of the Art processes suffer

case would ~ rotnrQod ~ the
not pain would be aggravated
not one Of the ART processes suffer
rim<at. Vast changes have occu
In medicine, pharmacy, chemistry
all art processes, and 1t Is well to lo1
about and ascertain our true position
as regards the present necessity for
the use Of alcohol. Since the active.
alkaloidal and resined principles Of
roots, barks and gums have been isos
lated and put in better and more con.
venient forms, there is no longer need
of alcoholic tinctures and elixirs.
Laudanum, which is a tincture Of
opium, might be banished from the
shelves of every apothecary, as II 10
not needed. 1t is now known that the
valuable narcotic and hypnotic princi-
p es of opium are contained in certain
crystalline bodies which can be isolat-
ed and used in minute and convenient
forms, and that they can
be held in aqueous solutions.
Alcohol is no longer needed to hold
the active principles OF opium, Peru
Wan bark or other indispensable drugs.
The catalogue of modern remedies 10
almost endless, and many OF them hold
alcohol In some form, but every intel
ligent physician knows that ninety per
cent of these alleged remedies have
little or no intrinsic value. The nos
trums of the quack, the bitters, clixirs,
cordlals, extracts. etc, nearly all con
tain alcohol, and this is the ingredient
which aids III their sale. The whole
unclean list might with advantage be
thrown to the fishes"
DIR. Charles Jewett, of Connecticut,
says: "Unless the medical men Of
our country speedily and radically
change their present practice in rela-
ton to The prescription of intoxicating
liquors for well nigh half the diseases
they are called to treat, one of two
important results is sure to follow,
either the educated portion OF our
people, becoming moro and more en-
ligbtened in relation to the physiolo-
gical action of alcohol, will reject the
teachings and prescriptions of the
doctors, and lose confidence in them,
or If the present order of things shall
continue, all our efforts to lesson ma
terially the burdens and evils of in
will prove vain. and the
great cause will b. perpetuated
generations yet to Gomez
/, Icannot better close this essay than In
the beautiful and impressive language
Of Joseph p. Logan, M. D.. one.of At
lanta, Georgia's most gifted physicians
and surgeons;
THUS we see the great upheaval
which Is beginning in the medical
profession, the result Of which, in my
judgment, will produce an entire
revolution in the present practice of,
physicians in the use Of alcohol. What
part shall we bear in this great pro-
iessional reform upon which so much
that is vital to the race depends?
Shall we throw obstacles in the way?
Shall we stand IDLY by, or persuing
The same old beaten track rufuse to
the facts which are becom--
ing SO plain that che who runneth may
read" or shall we come up to the full
measure of our opportunities and OBJ
legations as physicians, as conservators
Of the public health, as philanthro-
pists, rs citizens, Us men who acknowl-
edge an accountability 10 confidence
ana 20 God? Our ow,. STATE = "a
the midst OF the throes OF n .se.s. 4 J
fort TO break the chains OF ii wo>S.,
Than Egyptian bondage. Wa eau not
ourselves In professional dig 4.
nifty ii we would. We have no right
10 be neutral We will not and should
not be allowed to be. We WELD an in
luence which will be potent for good
DR. evil. The advocates Of the liquor
Ireflic are constantly endeavoring 10
us among their forces upon
the plea that the legislature Is propos-
ing to dictate to US what medical
agents we shall use, and TO inter-
lcre with the rights of the people
10 have alcoholic liquors for medicine
Is an usurpation of power. Whether
the law which the advocates of prohi-
Dition are seeking to have adopted by
he people is perfect or free from OBJ
ootions or not, We must either accept :
i or allow the traffic in liquor 10 con-
Iinue. While l do not advocate any
action upon the part of the
medical profession in favor of the
present legislation, l shall at least hope
hat as individuals We shall not with
hold whatever aid may be in our
power to those who would forge
chains for and make disrcputable the i.
Irafflc in that which is now made re-
spectacle and protected by law; which
causes large proportion Of the dis
Eases for which 1t Is prescribed; which
Is medical men we are compelled to
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